Improved process for forming leather straps for harness



No. 36,562. PATENTED SEPT. 30, 1862.

I G. EARLE.

PROCESS OF FORMING LEATHER STRAPS FOR HARNESS, 8m. 7

UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE EARLE, on DOVER OHIO.

IMPROVED PROCESS FORFORMING LEATHERlS TRAPS For HARNESS, at.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 36,562, dated September 30, 1862.

lindrical Straps for Harness; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full. and complete description thereof, the drawing herein referred to being given in illustration of the same.

My improvement relates to the process or mode of rounding straps for harnessthat is, the forming of cylindrical straps for this andlike purposes after the straps have been stitched into the proper form for rounding by lateral pressure only, so as to insure a uniformity of size, independent of the firm or spongy condition of the leather composing the same or dilferent straps. The means I make use of to accomplish this object is to pass the prepared straps between grooved rollers, as hereinafter specified, until the desired size and'density has been obtained.

The only mode hitherto adopted so far as I am aware is to draw thestitehed strap through around holein a plate and successively through smaller and still smaller holes, similar to wire drawing, until the strap has been reduced by pressure to the desired form and size. To this mode of operation there are serious objections, among which I will name the following:

First. In harness-maki ng it is oftendesirable to have the middle portion of a strap round, while both ends are leftflat. In all such cases the drawingplate cannot be used, for the reason that the llat end of the strap cannot .be

' passed through the hole. In my process the rollers can be quickly separated sufficiently for the flat strap to pass through, and't'hen brought together.

Second. In drawing a round strap through a hole for the purpose of rounding there is great liability of breaking the grain of the leatherby friction.

Third. The strap being necessarily wet, in order to condense the leather and bring it into the desired form, the act of pulling through the hole will stretch the strap unequally.

By the use of my process neither of these objections prevail, for the condensation takes place by simple'p'ressurebetween the rollers,

and there is no abrading, friction, or stretching of the strap by pulling. I

Iam aware that machines have been constructed for rolling, forming, and raising fiat straps by passing them between formingtgroll; ers; butmy machine differs from such both in form and function.

Having thus described the nature of my in vention and set forth its leading advantages, v

I will now proceed with a description of a machine for accomplishing this process.

The frame-work consists of a bed-piece, A, two posts, B B, the top piece, 0, and springbar D. Two rollers, E F, are placed horizontally in this frame-work, their journals resting in boxes in the posts B B. The upper boxes. have a sliding motion-and are attached to the ends of the springbar D, so that the roller F can be raised or lowered at pleasure by means hereinafter explained. A screw, G,.

passes through the top piece, 0, (which forms its nut,) and the end of the screw is attached to the spring-bar D by a swivel-coupling, so t'hat'by running the screw upward the roller F is lifted with it,.and by running the screw" downward the roller F is pressed closely'upon the roller E. The roller E has a crank, H, by means of which the machine is operated. Each roller 'is provided with gear-wheels I I, by means of which the rotation of the rollers is caused to coincide; T Thesemicircular grooves, (seen at: a a, &e.,) when the rollers are in contact, form a series of round holes when the rollers are incontact. Through these the-j stitched straps are passed for the purpose of condensing and rounding the same, the straps being passed from the larger grooves to the next smaller until the desired amount of con-.

densation is obtained.

What I claim as my improvement, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The herein-described process of forming'eylind rical stra ps for harness and other purposes.

- GEORGE EA-RLE.

\Vitnesses:

W. H.BURRIDGE, M. B. GRAvEs. 

